Is this too much confinement?

[Lucy & Ellie]

Puppies are so draining!  Who knew?  Not I.

I can so relate to "Lauren and Kona's" post about feeling frustrated, and I have expressed it a few times here already.  I LOVE these boards.  Such great support!

So Lucy is about 15 weeks old and such a puppy.  Not 100% housebroken at all.  Nippy.  Crazy and zoomie.  Thankfully, she's also adorable :)  

So because she is all of the above, I feel like everything is a double edged sword.  She needs to burn energy big time, but when the kids take her out in the backyard, ALL she does is nip at them.  So back into her ex-pen she goes.  I try to have her free in the gated kitchen when we are all in there, but then she has an accident on the floor.  This makes me want her out of her ex-pen even less.  In the evening she used to lay with us on the couch while we watched TV and now she whines and is so wiggly.  Well we are tired at this point, so back to the pen. I don't want her just free in the living room because she will chew on stuff.  Or wander off to the next room where we can't see her and goodness knows what she'd do.

And I'm wondering how she's going to learn good behavior.  I mean, we have training sessions with her for things like sit, stay, come, etc.  She does well and likes that kind of attention.  But what about just everyday life behavior?  

[Deb's Yarrow and Schatzi]

So true.  Yarrow always sits next to me and then after a few minutes she lays down close to me while I prepare meals.  Before I picked up Yarrow, the breeder had me read a book entitled The Art of Raising a Puppy by The Monks of New Skete.  They say it is important that the puppy be present as the meals are being prepared and while the family eats. 

[Rosemary (Ro) and Enzo]

I am not a fan of confinement. How are they to learn everyday behavior confined in a pen or crate. Enz was never confined, for the exception in her crate for the first few months at night and when I needed shower time, etc. I did tether her to me, to be ever vigilant on the housebreaking. But this gave her constant time with me or my husband and she had the attention she craved.
Yes, the nip and jump...all part of being a young puppy. Spending long periods of time in a pen or crate is not going yo make that go away. They need family interaction and guidance. Training is a 24/7 job. It doesn't start and end at a puppy class.
And last, but not least...tiring out a puppy...not in a pen or crate= a good puppy( also known as a sleeping puppy) :p

[Lucy & Ellie]

Thanks so much everyone.  I do agree that it's a lot of confinement and totally agree that Lucy probably isn't getting the opportunities to learn how to behave.  I guess it does just help to express my frustration.  Especially when she's hurting my kids with her nips!  

FYI, her pen is in the kitchen and we are in there a ton.  So even being confined, she is with us.  I know.... probably not quite the same as being loose in the kitchen.  Any time I'm in there without the kids, I let her out.  She doesn't nip at me.

We got to take her to the park today and boy did it tire her out!  It was really fun.  And she was good when kids came up to pet her.  She was tired pretty much the rest of the day/evening!  And her behavior was better too :)

Thanks again - it really helps to be reminded that things will get better.  And to be encouraged to try harder :)

[Rosemary (Ro) and Enzo]

Vent away!  It is why this Group is so helpful!  We have all been there and no the frustrations of having a puppy.  We just do the best we can and do what works for us.  And yes, things will improve! ;)

[Lucy & Ellie]

Thank you!!

[Jen & Hudson]

It sounds like you have a crazy puppy like Hudson was. We're not one of the lucky ones to get a calm sweet cuddly angel like some!!! That just means we have a bit more work to do, but all is not lost.

I got Hudson at 7.5 weeks, and after a few days I was panicked that I had made a mistake and I was in for many years of hell. So I turned to doodelkisses and tried some things. For the first 2 months he was tethered to me or my partner at all times when we were home, except for when we put him down for naps in his crate or at night in his crate. Since he was never out of our sight, we had ample opportunities to correct him and teach him acceptable behaviors.  I admit, those first 2 months of a Velcro-doodle were a blurry nightmare, but they were also incredibly successful. At 5 months, he is now a very well-behaved housetrained boy and he is incredibly gentle with his old yorkie brother. We still don't give him the run of the house, and he is still always in our sight while we're relaxing at home, but he is slowly earning more trust and freedom. I believe the following points were instrumental in molding him into a doodle I could live with, and will be crucial for getting us through the terrible teen phase that is yet to come:

 

- Tethering him and minimizing his freedom until he earns trust. We had a small puppy leash on him indoors at all times and blocked off a small area of the living room where the couch is so we could all hang together. The area (we called it "the pit") got bigger and bigger as he earned more freedom. We still kept the leash on him as backup. Now he's free to enjoy the whole living room and kitchen leash-free, but he usually chooses to be near us.

- Making him sit for food, treats, toys, etc. and not letting him sleep with me (yet!)

- Spending as much time as possible with him to allow for corrections and bonding

- Keeping plenty of stuffed toys and bully sticks around to redirect his mouthing

- Putting him down for enforced naps in his crate or if he's getting cranky/overtired. At first it was 4-5 naps per day but now he mostly puts himself down. Occasionally he still needs us to make that decision for him.

- Brief timeouts and/or "being a tree" when he's overexcited or nippy

- At least two 20-30min walks per day. Walking allows both physical and mental exercise and aids in socialization, confidence-building, and bonding. Backyard romps just aren't  the same, but will do in a pinch.

- Controlling excitement. The more excited a puppy is, the more likely he is to forget his manners. I've instituted a "calm house" rule to ensure that my old yorkie doesn't get hurt. No rough play or overexcitement in the house. Excitement is for outside only.

- Like a baby, puppies need a schedule and do best when on a routine

 

I learned most of this stuff from doodlekisses, but I wanted to reiterate that it really does work, and IT DOES GET BETTER! It's like going to the gym - it's not fun and can be painful and results are slow, but one day you look in the mirror and realize "wow, it works!!"

 

I think of it as an investment. A few months of hard work for 12-15 years of enjoyment. I'd say that's a great deal!!

 

[Lucy & Ellie]

Thanks - that is great advice and encouragement!

[Adina P]

Leash her.  Loop the leash around your waist, hold on to it, or loop the handle around a couch leg so she is in view.  Give her something to chew on that's safe and then she can be near you but not free to nip and destroy.